Tokka Week 2008
by sketchingserendipity
Summary: Toph/Sokka one-shots in celebration of Tokka Week 2008.
1. Betrothal

_Alrighty, first prompt: Betrothal. Toph might be a tad OOC; I apologize if that's the case. My inner hopeless romantic ran away with me a bit on this one. Sorry if it's kinda depressing, Tokka shippers. Fun shenanigans to come..._

_oh, and I'm not endorsing living a life of unrequited devotion. Toph is better than that. The last line is intended to ring as a kind of hollow echo, a reflection on the futility of trying to supplant your own happiness with someone else's. yeah. so enjoy! :D_

* * *

Toph stood, motionless and soundless, in the long and narrow hallway with her back to the wall. Through the doorway to her left stood Suki. Toph could feel her vibrations as she sashayed across the floor, no doubt admiring the engagement necklace Sokka had just given her.

Through the doorway to Toph's right, Sokka sat on his bed. He too neither moved nor spoke, and Toph felt the urge to join him in silence. They had always been there for each other like that, whether one of them needed to talk or just needed not to be alone. Now that Sokka was marrying Suki, Toph supposed he wouldn't need her much anymore, if at all. She pressed her back to the wall and slid down, landing on the floor with her knees tucked up under her chin. She supposed she wouldn't be seeing much more of Sokka at all.

For some reason, this made Toph exceedingly depressed. She tilted her head up and stared with unseeing eyes at the ceiling, pondering her situation. Sokka and Suki had invited her to join them in their Earth Kingdom apartments while they began preparations for the wedding. Toph herself was to have a role in the ceremony, though which role specifically she would take was yet to be decided. The past few days had been a torment of subtle touches and light laughter that the engaged did not realize Toph could sense and hear.

She heaved a sigh. She should be happy for them. Sokka was her best friend in the world, and Suki was a very nice girl, and they liked each other. Still, a part of her wanted to pout and be as petulant as her twelve-year-old self. She and Sokka worked so well together. They fit together. And now their companionship was being compromised by another girl. Toph had always felt threatened by Suki when it came to Sokka, and, as it turned out, she had good reason. Toph had so longed for his trust, his affection… things he readily handed to the sweet, loveable Suki.

Oh, to hell with it. Toph loved Sokka, had never loved anybody else. She vied for his attention daily, had clung to him in false terror, bought him gifts. And Suki… she had almost effortlessly invaded his heart. And now she was taking him away from Toph completely, and no messenger hawks or nice expensive atlases could stop it.

The door to Toph's right opened suddenly, and Toph started. She scrambled to her feet, trying not to trip on her robes.

"Toph?" Sokka sounded surprised to see her.

"Hi! I, um, I was just…" Toph struggled to find an explanation for her behavior, and failed miserably.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something if you have a minute," Sokka gestured into his room.

"I, uh, sure." Toph mentally cursed her apparent incapacity for coherent speech as she entered Sokka's quarters and plopped down on the bed. "What's up?" She asked nervously.

"Well, it's about the wedding," Sokka began, his voice trembling every so slightly on the last word. "I was wondering… well, that is, Suki and I…"

Toph grew cold, but shook off the feelings of dread. "Snoozles, what is it?" She prompted, using her pet name for him.

Sokka placed his large, steady hand on her shoulder, and electricity coursed through her body. "Would you be my best man?" He asked quietly.

Toph was sure if she had vision, it would be clouding over. So that was it, she thought. He saw her as one of the guys. He never even thought about her the way—

She interrupted her own train of thought by nearly shouting, "What?!"

Sokka jerked his hand back, startled.

"Best MAN?" She continued, unleashing all her hurt in this rant. "Do I LOOK like a man? Do you even see me—" She stopped short, fearing she said too much.

After a moment of deafening silence, Sokka's hand returned to her shoulder. "Toph," he began, his voice low and comforting, "Of course I see you. You're my best friend, how could I not?" Toph's eyes started watering at 'best friend,' and she hurriedly rubbed away the tears.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Sokka continued, scooting closer to her and wrapping his long arm around her shoulders. "Let's think of something more suitable." Toph sniffled in reply.

"Toph," Sokka began gingerly after a moment's pause, "Would you be my best girl?"

Toph nearly choked. If only he knew that's all she wanted to be, all she'd ever wanted. She nodded mutely in reply.

Sokka squeezed her once. "Thank you," He said, a smile in his voice, "That means a lot to me."

Toph took a shuddering breath, and finally voiced her worst fear. "Sokka, we won't really see each other once… once you're married, will we?"

Sokka sat up a little straighter, obviously taken aback. "What?" He sounded surprised once more. She sure did surprise him a lot, Toph thought briefly before Sokka continued with, "Of course we'll see each other. I'll make sure of it." He stood and drew her into a hug, his strong arms enveloping her small frame. She wished _she_ could be sure of it. But still, it was very comforting to be wrapped in Sokka's arms, her face pressed to his chest, breathing in his scent. Maybe she could live as just his friend, and not suffer too much. Maybe she could survive seeing him marry another woman. Maybe she could endure an existence of unrequited love, as long as he was happy.

As long as he was happy.


	2. Alcohol

_Okay, this is actually the 5th prompt, but I wrote it second. This is kind of a long oneshot, focusing on how Toph and Sokka survive fancy parties at Toph's parents' home. Toph's lisping is a bit irregular, but typing like that for too long annoys me. First paragraph was supposed to be rather Great Gatsby-esque._

_Oh, also, if you've heard "Nine in the Afternoon" then you will be able to spot all the lines I stuck in here. It's been stuck in my head, so this is kinda a song-fic but not really. Enjoy!_

* * *

Music wafted gently on the evening breeze, playing delicately in the ears of the many couples on the dance floor before drifting out the open doors onto a patio where lovers cooed to each other discreetly. Sitting at a table inside were a petite girl and her escort, a tall mocha-skinned young man. They talked idly from time, but mostly they downed drink after drink. The liquor scorched their throats and loosed their already bold tongues.

Occasionally an elegant woman, resembling the short girl in her pale skin and straight black hair, glided by to clear her throat and send them a scornful look. The girl, who was nineteen but looked younger, stuck her tongue out in reply to her mother's disapproval before taking another sip of her frosty beverage.

"Sokka," she asked her companion, "whatimeisit?"

The darker-skinned young man, himself only approaching twenty two, furrowed his brow as he deciphered her blurred query, pouting his lower lip in concentration. Finally he made sense of it and answered in slightly less blurred speech, if from a rather more convoluted mindset. "Oh! Its nine in the afternoon."

The girl narrowed her sightless, clouded eyes at this rather puzzling answer. "Sokka, that doesn' make any thense," she responded warily with a light lisp. " I think you've had too much to drin'."

"Naw," Sokka shook his head slowly, turning his focus from his glass to his friends face. "Toph," he continued, studying her features, "Your eyes are the size of the moon..."

"Yep, you've defininately had too much to drin'." Toph sat back in her chair, crossing her arms authoritatively. "You're getting ridiculuth."

Sokka giggled, grasping for his mug. "But man, it feels good to feel this way," he replied, taking another swig.

"You won' feel so good in the mornin', not that that's ever stopped uth," Toph attempted to hop down from her tall chair, but lost her balance and tumbled earthward. Sokka quickly leapt up and halted her descent, catching her as if she weighed as much as a feather. He grinned as he set her on her feet.

Toph just blushed as she straightened her skirts. "If my parents wouldn' make me wear these thtupid clothes, maybe I could actually move." She scowled as she felt her mother's vibrations get nearer, presumably for another round of censure. Toph grabbed Sokka's arm and practically dragged him towards the ballroom door. "Les get outta here," she grumbled in explanation.

"To the library!" Sokka threw the arm not engaged by Toph into the air, and matched her pace as they left the whispers and looks of the guests behind them.

"Okay, fine, we'll go to the libary," Toph said indulgently as they entered a corridor. They took a left and found themselves in a study full of shelves brimming with volumes and scrolls. Toph released Sokka's arm and he wandered from wall to wall as she leaned against a desk in the middle of the room, arms crossed over her chest.

Sokka finally settled at the desk and began digging through its drawers' contents. Toph interrupted his search with, "If my mother comes to find uth and you're picking up things we shouldn't read, we're dead. She already hates that I invited you," she narrowed her eyes at Sokka, who was clearly not listening, and leaned over the desk. "Akshully, she just hates _you_."

A loud growl vibrated through Sokka's stomach, and he clutched his abdomen. "I'm _hungry_," he declared.

Toph sighed, straightening herself. "I gueth I could find you some food in the kitchen…"

Sokka grinned once more, grabbing her hand and tugging her back into the corridor as he babbled, "You could cause you can so you do!"

After snagging some snacks from the kitchen successfully without the cook noticing, the two snuck into the dining room to eat the spoils of their victory. They were still stifling giggles as they entered the room, but silence fell as Sokka recognized it from his very first visit. The paintings on the walls, the lantern chandelier, the high-backed chairs… nothing had changed. "Back to the room where it all began," he mused, gazing upwards.

Toph hopped up to sit on the table, munching on a piece of fruit. "Yep. An my parents thtill hate my independenth."

Sokka leaned in so close that his face nearly met hers. Toph could smell the alcohol on his breath, but could barely distinguish it from her own. "We, you and me," Sokka began, his eyes shining, "should just go away together. And we'll have adventures and shenanigans and eat lots of meat and it'll be good. We're good together." Toph's heart had begun beating irregularly and her cheeks were flushed from more than just liquor, but he continued. "Too good for this… this stifling existence." He gestured in the general direction of the ballroom, though Toph couldn't see it. She hung her head, trying to even out her breathing.

"C'mon," Sokka gently placed his palms on the side of her face. "You know that you're feeling it too."

Toph raised her chin, her face twisted into an expression of terror mixed with desire. Suddenly she threw herself at Sokka, locking lips and sending both of them hurtling backwards. Sokka landed on his back, with Toph half on top of him. She came up for air and he stared at her. What felt like hours elapsed before Sokka spoke. "I think _you're_ the one who's had too much to drink," he said lightly as he moved to get up. "It's late. Let's get to bed."

Toph scrambled to her feet, swaying a little. As always, Sokka caught her arm in his to steady her. Her cheeks burned madly, but he only laughed good-humoredly and helped her to her room.

When they reached her doorway she paused, whipping around to say definitively, "It was the alcohol."

He looked at her hard for a moment before replying with, "Yeah, I know. Sweet dreams," and he wandered down the hall to his own room.

Toph softly closed the door and leaned her forehead against the cool wood. The blood was just beginning to drain from her face. The fact that neither of them would remember much about this in the morning was her only comfort.

She lightly kicked the door in a futile gesture of annoyance. "Thtupid alcohol."


	3. Worst Case Scenario

_Second prompt: Worst Case Scenario. Yes, I wrote it third. I'm a rebel._

_Inspired by a review from destinygirl, who said "Perhaps, sage advise from someone Toph respects like Iroh will rebuild her confidence and find some other guy to be "best friends' with." As a Tokka shipper, I'm not going to go so far as to pair Toph with someone else, but I felt Toph's feelings of inadequacy (in both herself and her relationship with Sokka, which, with Suki in the picture, soo isn't going anywhere) needed to be addressed. and Iroh was just the man for the job!_

_Also inspired by a review from TwilightGD, who wrote "Too bad toph is only honest when she is plastered." In that spirit, I give you a Toph-regains-the-balls-to-be-honest-while-entirely-sober tale!_

_don't worry Tokka shippers, fluffy goodness is coming!_

* * *

"So." Toph skimmed her fingers nervously up and down the smooth surface of the teacup in front of her.

"So," replied her companion across the table, the former Dragon of the West, who was slowly regaining his round belly. The teacakes piled high on his plate might have had something to do with it. "You had something you wished to discuss, my dear?"

"Yeah," the petite girl responded hesitantly, rethinking the necessity of this conversation.

"I have found," Iroh continued after a few moments, observing Toph's discomfort, "that when something is troubling me, facing it head-on and acknowledging the issue is the only way to put it to rest."

Toph sighed. "Okay," she said, placing her hands palms-down on the table. "Here goes. There's this boy I kinda-sorta like, in a big way. Thing is… I don't know if he likes me back. And I don't know what to do about it."

Iroh sipped his tea thoughtfully before commenting. "Have you considered telling him how you feel?"

"Well, duh," Toph responded, a touch of annoyance notable in her voice, "I mean, it's complicated. He likes this other girl. A lot. And she's nice and sweet, and a good fighter… how could I compete with that? If I told So- if I told this guy about my feelings, what could happen?"

"Worst case scenario," Iroh set down his teacup gently on its saucer. "He does not reciprocate your feelings. But how will you ever know if you do not ask?"

The world's greatest earthbender contemplated this point. "If I told him," she finally said, her voice soft and solemn, "it could jeopardize our friendship."

"If you do not tell him," the old man countered, "couldn't it do the same? How long could you open your heart to his friendship while he was in love with another? How long could you last with your heart caged, starved for love?"

Toph was silent.

"He loves you or he loses you," Iroh added softly, "Revealing your feelings will not change that."

Toph stood slowly, and bowed to her wise old friend. "I should go. Thank you for your advice."

Iroh rose and bowed in return. "It is my pleasure. You are welcome anytime you feel the least bit thirsty."

The blind girl had never looked so small as she made her way to the door of the teashop. As she mentally prepared for the task that lay ahead of her, Iroh called out to her, and she paused.

"You have much to offer, my dear," he said, "Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

Toph dropped her head, and a brief smile played on her lips. "Thank you, Iroh," she replied sincerely, "for everything."

And she strode out the door like the confident warrior the world knew.


	4. Two to Tango

_okay, so, fourth prompt: Two to Tango. this isn't my favorite, but at least it's kinda fluffy. enjoy!_

* * *

Sokka frowned. He understood that Toph and Aang had to train together sometimes, to keep both of them on their toes. But they way they were flying around, dodging attacks like they were executing elaborate choreography, tuned in to each other's every movement… Sokka, spectating from a nearby log, felt left out.

Sokka's attention snapped to the battle before him as Toph hurtled a succession of boulders at the avatar, who tripped across them like stepping stones and then took a flying leap. He spun through the air before landing on his feet with just a little more speed than he anticipated. Nearly falling over, Aang caught his balance in a position that looked rather like a bow.

Toph burst out in a hearty guffaw that sent a smile to tug at the corners of Sokka's mouth. "Oh, so you wanna dance, Twinkletoes?" She challenged teasingly, "Alright, let's dance." And she vaulted herself into the sky in a tower of rock. The battle resumed.

Finally, when the sun began to set on the Earth Kingdom village they were visiting and beads of sweat were dripping off both Avatar Aang and his Earthbending instructor, their training came to an end.

"Good job, Aang," Toph commended her protégé as they started to walk back towards Sokka and the gaang's apartments.

Aang began to thank her, but was interrupted by Sokka, who called out, "Aang, Katara wanted to see you before dinner."

"Oh, okay!" Aang cheerfully hurried back to the city and the loving arms of his waterbending master.

"Does Katara really want to see Aang?" Toph asked Sokka, a slight smile playing on her lips as she resumed walking towards town.

"Of course! She just doesn't know it yet…" Sokka responded, grinning devilishly and stepping in front of Toph to block her path.

Toph sighed. She was exhausted, and just wanted to flop onto her comfy bed at their temporary home. "Do you need something, Sokka?"

"Don't you think Aang monopolizes a lot of your time with these training sessions?" Sokka said, frowning once more. "I mean, there are other things you could be doing… other people you could be with…"

Toph tried to hide her smirk. Sokka could be so transparent sometimes. But, better to humor him. "Get to the point, ponytail."

Sokka pouted. "I miss you," he replied, with all the piteousness he could muster.

Toph playfully punched him in the arm. "You getting soft on me, Snoozles?" She chortled, but the blush starting to creep across her cheeks betrayed her.

On an impulse, Sokka grabbed her hand and tugged her body close to his, snaking his other arm around her waist.

"What are you doing?" Toph asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Beginning to sway back and forth, Sokka smirked and replied, "What, Aang is the only guy who can dance with you?" He swiftly dipped her, and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate but soft kiss.

When their lips parted, Toph smiled slightly. "You're lucky you're my boyfriend, or I might have had to punch you for that."

Sokka laughed and set her on her feet. And this time, it was Toph who initiated the heated kiss that sent both their heads reeling as their bodies entwined.

"So, tomorrow," Toph asked breathily when they came up for air, "shopping?"

Sokka grinned. "Only if it's just the two of us," he replied, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Deal."


	5. Weather

_Third prompt: Weather. I looked through all the screenshots I could find tagged with Toph in them on avatarspirit, and not one of them showed Toph in the rain. Still, this entire one-shot is speculation. Especially the part about the shock-absorbing chair. I nearly failed physics, guys. I have no idea if what I described would work. Also, I know the setting is incredibly vague, so I'll elaborate: I'm not sure where they are. It's some Earth Kingdom village, and they've been provided with housing by the benevolent villagers who must not be all that benevolent cause they kinda gave Toph and Sokka a shack to live in. enjoy!_

* * *

Toph shivered. Raindrops beat a constant irregular rhythm on the roof and a cool wind whistled through the cracked window, bringing with it the scent of damp earth. Sitting on a straw mat, she tucked her legs up and hugged her arms around herself. She didn't seem to sense the man who walked in until he spoke.

"Toph, what are you doing in here by yourself?" Sokka's voice had deepened since he had first joined the Avatar, his shoulders were broader and he had gained a few feet of height. But he was still the meat-loving warrior Toph had known then, if a bit less sarcastic and more mature. And now he approached her with worry in his voice, asking her, "Are you alright?"

Toph quickly stood, embarrassed to be caught in such a sensitive state. She flinched ever so slightly as her feet touched the ground, but betrayed no discomfort after that. "I'm fine," she replied defensively, her arms hanging stiff at her sides.

Sokka gazed at the young woman before him. Same ink-black hair, same hazy, sightless eyes, same porcelain skin. Same headstrong temperament. She, too, had gotten taller, and she had developed a feminine, though petite, figure. The years had only increased her beauty, as well as Sokka's fondness for her. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Toph, what's wrong?" He prompted in a low, quiet voice.

Toph's head swiveled towards the slightly open window, where wind still seeped in from the storm outside. "You'll think I'm stupid," she said ashamedly.

Sokka squeezed her shoulders. "No. Never." He insisted, looking at her intently. "Toph, you can tell me."

She sighed resignedly. "It's the rain," she finally responded.

"The rain?" Sokka repeated, not understanding.

Toph dropped her head, simultaneously embarrassed and rather distracted. "I—" she began, and paused, as if gathering her bearings, before continuing. "The rain… it sends out vibrations with each drop that hits the ground. I sense them with earthbending, like I sense anything…" She shifted her feet on the stone floor, "but they come all at once, in every direction. It gets distracting. Unnerving. And the noise doesn't help."

Sokka furrowed his brow in thought. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and swept Toph up into his arms.

She in turn yelped softly as she felt herself be lifted off the ground. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed.

"You'll see," he smiled as he carried her into his own room and set her down on his sleeping pallet.

Once she was securely on land, Toph sniffed the air. "Smells like seal jerky. Are we in your room?"

By now on his knees and up to his elbows in a very large chest across the room, he laughed. "Lucky guess," he called back to her, still rooting around.

"You're not planning on engaging me in lewd behavior that Katara wouldn't approve of, are you?" She batted her wide eyes in mock offense. The pallet dulled the steady thrum of raindrops enough for her to manage a few jokes.

"Why, of course not!" Sokka replied in false indignation, putting on a haughty air, "I am an honorable man. I wouldn't dream of corrupting you." Still kneeling beside the massive trunk, he softly and subtly added, "Without your permission, that is."

"Good. I wouldn't want my reputation to be besmirched."

"Besmirched?" Sokka smiled crookedly, pulling out a toolbox, sandpaper, and nails and placing them on the ground beside him.

"Or sullied. Whichever you prefer." Toph sniffed. "What _are_ you doing?"

"Just be patient," Sokka urged, rising and heading for the door. "I'm going to the porch, but I'll be right back."

Soon enough he returned with an armload of wooden planks. "I told you those scraps of lumber would come in handy," he grinned, dropping his burden and beginning to survey the materials.

The two talked for the good part of an hour as Sokka worked, Toph trying to muffle the pitter-patter of precipitation echoing in her limbs. Finally, he finished construction and sat back to admire his creation. "Done!" he beamed.

Before him sat a very odd looking chair. It rested on tiny rounded feet and featured tall legs of undulating thickness. On its wide seat he placed the pillows from his own bedroll. "Here, try it," Sokka insisted, sweeping up Toph and setting her on the eccentric chair.

Toph, her feet dangling a good distance off the ground, was silent for a moment, evaluating her perch. Finally, she declared it "pretty good," and smiled as she swung up her legs to sit cross-legged. Sokka grinned widely, puffing out his chest slightly.

Toph beckoned for him to come closer, and he obeyed. "Yeah, Toph?" He asked when he was only a few inches away.

Suddenly her hand shot out, grabbed a fistful of his tunic, and tugged, bringing his face down to hers. She swiftly kissed him and then let him go, murmuring, "Thank you."

Sokka pressed his forehead to hers, and cupped her chin in his palm. "You're welcome," he replied softly, his smile radiant, "and you're worth it."


	6. Promise

_Ahh, guys I am so sorry this is taking so long. School started up and I got behind on my Tokka week prompts. Please forgive me!  
So, once again I wrote this out of order. Crossdressing is supposed to come before this, but it will come after. I sincerely hope this oneshot is comprehensible and not OOC. I kind of built a large Avatar 'verse backstory for it, which I hope is clear enough in the actual piece.  
Enough blabbering. On to the dramatic but happy-ending Tokka fic. Enjoy!_

_EDIT TwilightGD commented that, among other things, "i also think toph would have gone with him too." And I thought to myself, 'Oh, duh. headdesk' That was the missing piece to this story, IMO, and now I am much happier with the outcome. Thank you, TwilightGD, for pointing that out! /EDIT  
_

* * *

"You promised!" Toph shouted, tears flowing freely from her hazy, sightless eyes. She clenched her shaking fists tightly.

"Toph, please," Sokka's expression was pained as he took faltering steps towards her, his palms facing the overcast sky in entreaty. "Could you hear me out?"

The blind girl stumbled backwards a few paces across the clearing. "Don't touch me!" She screamed, soaking her cheeks with angry tears.

"Okay, okay!" Sokka straightened, raising his hands as if she had pointed a weapon at him. A light breeze picked up, tousling his trademark ponytail. "Look, Toph—"

"Shut up!" Toph yelled, "Just shut up! You said… you told me… we'd always… be together." Her petite frame shuddered with sobs, and the wind lifted her long bangs to reveal desperate eyes.

"We'll always be friends," Sokka replied gently, "That will never change. And we can write to each other, and before you know it, I'll be back..." His voice trailed off.

"Sokka," Toph choked, "you're going to war. And for how long? A year? Ten years?" Her tear-stained face in her hands, she collapsed onto the stone seat that had just appeared behind her. "I thought we left this behind. All the fear, all the anxiety, not knowing if you'll make it home—" A few more tears leaked out as her hands came to rest beside her on the makeshift bench. "You said we wouldn't have to part like this again. After the Great War ended, all those months you were working in the Southern Water Tribe while I was helping to rebuild Omashu… that was bad enough. And even then, at least I didn't fear for your life. Like I did every day before we defeated Ozai, while the War was still going on."

"You worried about me?" Sokka asked softly, sending her an affectionate look she could not see.

"Of course I did," Toph snapped, still sniffling and wiping residual tears away. "And I thought that was over. This isn't me, Sokka," she slouched, her head hung, "I'm not the girl who bawls her eyes out because some boy is leaving her. But here I am."

"I'm just 'some boy'?" Sokka asked quietly.

"No, of course you're not just some boy—" Toph blustered, then stopped short and blushed, fearing she had said too much. "You're… my best friend." She fixed her unseeing eyes on the damp ground below her.

"And you are mine," Sokka added gently, "and I'll miss you, too. But Toph, these rebels… you know we can't allow them to keep terrorizing people. A Fire Nation faction who still believes in the inherent superiority of firebenders above all other benders, bent on wiping out the other nations? They have to be stopped. And you're needed here, General Bei Fong." He smiled at the presumptuous title that seemed so ill-fitting for his spirited friend. "I promise I'll be safe."

"You promised me we wouldn't be separated again," Toph pointed out coldly, "and look how that's gone."

Sokka sighed. "Toph, what can I say," he pleaded, "to make this better?"

Toph considered. A few things came to mind, none of which, she supposed, were plausible. He couldn't, for example, promise to be faithful when they weren't in a relationship. She furrowed her brow. What if he died in battle and she never got to tell him how she felt?

Toph's extended silence made Sokka uncomfortable. He gazed at her small, slumped frame, her pale face shadowed by thick, jet-black bangs. More dark hair cascaded down her back, and she was clad in a modified version of a traditional Earth Kingdom gown. A long slit down the side revealed her to be wearing pants underneath. Toph had grown considerably, Sokka thought affectionately, but some things never changed.

Toph drew in a large breath, breaking the silence and almost making Sokka jump. The sprinkling beginnings of rain, raising goosebumps on his exposed arms, didn't help.

"Promise you won't forget me," Toph said hollowly, her expression indistinguishable beneath her bangs.

"What?" Sokka was caught off-guard, and colored a little upon recollection of his previous Toph-centered musings.

"I need to know," Toph spoke slowly, "that you won't forget about me."

Sokka stepped towards her and, before she could resist, pulled her into a tender hug. "Never," he replied warmly, "not as long as I live."

Toph's eyes stung, and something sharp pierced her heart. She wondered if it would be entertaining false hope to think he might feel, ever so slightly, the same way about her. Too soon, he pulled away.

The droplets of rain came heavier and faster as Sokka looked down at Toph, his large, sturdy hands on her shoulders. He cleared his throat. "I have to go make sure the ships are prepared. It's almost time to leave." After a moment, he added, "I _will_ come back. I don't think I could bear much more separation than you could," a smile tugged at his lips and softened his clear blue eyes, "from the people I love most." He squeezed her hands and started out of the clearing toward the docks.

Toph stood, gaping slightly, her head ringing. _The people I love most_, he had said. Aang and Katara had been touring the world for almost a year, hadn't stayed with Toph and Sokka for months. Bato and Hakoda had returned to the South Pole after the War. Here in the Earth Kingdom, Sokka and Toph had unfriendly advisors, servants… and each other.

_The people I love most_, he had said. _The person I love most_, he had meant.

"Sokka!" Toph hollered his name at the top of her lungs, rising from her earthen seat. She felt his vibrations through the earth from hundreds of yards away as he paused mid-step and turned to face her. Her heart racing, she clenched her fists at her sides and yelled, "I love you, you idiot!"

She sensed him take a few steps toward her before breaking into a run. What she could not see was that he was grinning broadly, giving no thought to the raindrops pelting his head and shoulders.

Within seconds he was sweeping her up in his broad arms and laughing, tossing his head back. Toph gasped, but for once did not mind not having her feet touch the ground. A smile, hesitant at first, but soon wide and sincere, transformed her features. At least, until Sokka kissed her full on the lips.

The ship's crew would wonder why their captain came to greet them with a silly grin plastered on his face, and why he was accompanied by a petite woman with a strong stride and matching exstatic expression.


End file.
